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Slutspel I Kalahari
Slutspel I Kalahari (Endgame in the Kalahari) was the fifth in a series of graphic novels first published in Swedish by the Stockholm based publisher Semic from 1977 onwards. While the first four were drawn and written by Björn Karlstrom, Slutspel, published in 1982, was the first to be crafted by Stig Stjernvik. In 1983, an English translation by Peter James was published in the UK by Hodder and Stoughton as Biggles in the Kalahari. Translations of the book exist in Dutch and various Scandanavian languages. Slutspel takes a more light-hearted direction compared with the previous books in the series, bordering almost on caricature. In one scene for example, a stampede of wildebeests destroys his radio. Biggles angrily demands: "How am I going to call my stockbroker?" Synopsis Either Biggles appears to have retired from the Air Police or he moonlights while on vacation. He still gets missions from Air Commodore Raymond. Algy has disappeared while en route through the Kalahari Desert. Meanwhile Biggles is asked by Raymond to rescue a scientist from Eastern Europe, but the Kalahari Desert comes up as part of the background to the case. Biggles has a suspicion his Eastern European escapade might lead him to Algy. Plot Note: The sections below contain spoilers. In particular, the plot subpage (click here) has an extended summary of the narrative in the book Characters *Biggles *Algy Lacey *Ginger Hebblethwaite *Bebe Sunday *Air Commodore Raymond *Sir Giles Rolfe *The Cardinal *Professor Ander *Captain Rustek *Melitter *Dmitri Wlazyk *Mr Sharp *Kelevratze - one of the Cardinal's operatives in the Kalahari. *Johnson *Leopold - barman at Vednice. *Detrovitch - contact of a Slovonian agent at the airport in Bauerdorff *Hawkin - butler at Biggles' club. *General Thumper - another member of Biggles' club. *Erich von Stalhein - mention only. Aircraft *"Fokker" - a twin boom passenger airline cum freighter. Looks like a Fairchild C-82 Packet but is called a Fokker in the book. *Douglas A-26 Invader - converted to a executive transport. *Henschel Hs 126 *Bristol Beaufighter - a TF Mk X strike version with thimble-nose radome. Biggles and Ginger fly out to the Orlik base in this. *Messerschmitt Me 110 - used by Slavonian forces for border patrol *Messerschmitt Me 109 *North American F-86 Sabre - Slavonian Air Force *Generic Austrian Air Force jets *Douglas DC-3 *Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress *North American P-51 Mustang *The Cardinal's rocket plane Places *Various locations in the Kalahari Desert - mostly in Botswana. *London *Austria **Vienna **Bauerdorff *Slavonia **Vednice Research notes *The album has prologue pages introducing the main characters, as well as a map of the Kalahari desert (that part which is mainly in Botswana). There is also a plan of Vednice Castle. *At the back of the album, as appendices, are feature pages on the Beaufighter TF Mk X and the Henschel Hs 126. Incongruities *The speech bubbles in the text keep referring to the Hs 126 as a Heinkel but the feature page at the end states correctly that the manufacturer was Henschel. Editions References Category:Derivative works